Education
Live Projects
Access To Education - Seasonal Migrants
Yusuf Meherally Centre: (2005) Kutch, Gujarat ($ 23,779) for one year
The NGO Yusuf Meherally Centre (YMC) has been working in Mundra taluka (block), Kutch since 1996. Some of the activities of YMC include working for communal harmony, rehabilitation in cyclone and earthquake relief work, and access to basic health and education facilities. The AIF supported education program, as implemented by Yusuf Meherally Centre, is working with one of the most marginalized communities who are termed as the “Pagariyas” or the “Waghers”. The Waghers migrate to the sea coast for about 8-9 months every year, where they live in temporary settlements along the coast in harsh climatic conditions. These settlements are 2 to 25 miles (4 to 40K) away from their resident villages. Since the Waghers migrate with their families, children drop out of schools for the most part of the year. When they return to their villages, the schools are not ready or equipped to teach their children, who have missed schools for more than 8-9 months. This deepens the social exclusion of the community, as their children can never mix with other children in the village. Even if a few children do join the schools, there is a huge dropout rate. As part of the AIF supported intervention, seasonal hostels have been opened up in the sending areas, so as to arrest migration of children at the source. Currently, there are 150 children in 6 hostels. Progress has been made as planned, and in the second year, interventions will be planned for the receiving areas.